Verdict

Pros

The lead has a neat place to sit when the kettle isn’t in use Two cups are included It is compatible with 12V and 24V supplies

Cons

The kettle’s power lead is quite short It doesn’t have a very big capacity

A travel kettle is an essential when on tour – we all need cups of tea and coffee, or maybe hot chocolate, on our caravan holidays!

But while many of us will pack a traditional whistling kettle or perhaps a mains kettle, a 12V kettle might be handy, too. Why? Well, what if the campsite you are staying at does not have electric hook-up points? Or maybe you’re on the road, towing your caravan to the campsite and you can’t get to the kettle that you have so neatly packed away, due to bedding, clothes or other holiday essentials being in the way? Plus having a kettle stowed in the car is rather convenient for quick stops en route to your destination. If it is a warm day, it also saves labouring to lower the caravan’s steadies and then standing over a hot, gas-powered stove, heating both you and your caravan’s interior.

There are some drawbacks to using such travel kettles, though, a major one being that they can sometimes take a lot longer to boil than mains powered alternatives. Practical Caravan’s 12V kettle group test therefore looked at the speed at which the kettles boiled a large mug of water (300ml), as well as measuring the battery capacity used to boil the water. Among the other travel kettles tested were the Waeco Perfect Kitchen MCK750, the Waeco Perfect Coffee MC01 and the Summit Car/Truck Jug kettle GY-342.

In our test, this emerged as a very strong all-rounder. Our typical, 300ml mug full of water took 20 minutes to boil, but the reduced average current draw of just under 10A meant a reasonable battery consumption of 3.33Ah. We were pleased to note that this kettle has an auto switch-off function, plus the fill level window can be clearly read.

It is a bit of a plain looking, white kettle, but Halfords has included two small cups that stack neatly inside it when empty, which is handy when you’re travelling on your caravan holidays and you’re stopping for a quick cuppa – it saves you rummaging about for mugs and, being self-contained, you won’t have lots of bits of plastic rolling about the car. The Practical Caravan review team also liked this kettle’s neat, lead-tidy arrangement and that it costs just £20, so it isn’t the cheapest on test, but it is hardly expensive.

A further surprise, at this price level, is the kettle’s compatibility with both 12V and 24V supplies. However, the Halfords Go Car kettle lost points for its short power lead, and also for its maximum capacity – 400ml according to the packaging, and 500ml if you fill up to the maximum level line, which is less than most rivals.

Still, despite this, this product achieved a score of four out of five, so it is worth a look if you’re shopping for a travel kettle.